Asus Gets Into Robot Vac Game With ECleaner

Asus, making vacuum cleaners? What on Earth is the world coming to? We
know 2012 is supposed to bring about some fairly crazy happenings, but
we aren't even out of 2009 yet! As the Roombas dominance in the robotic
vac arena streaks towards its end, Asus--a mainstay in the consumer PC
market--has decided to take a shot at ousting the king. For years now,
the robotic vacuum has been synonymous with the Roomba name, but all
that could be changing with the introduction of the ECleaner.

This announcement comes just a week after Neato Robotics introduced its
own Roomba competitor, and it should retail first in China and Taiwan
(by the end of the month, actually). It will be made available through
Asus' AGAiT Technology subsidiary, and much like the iconic Roomba, it
will be circular in shape and will suck the dust/dirt right out of your
carpet without you having to stand behind and push/tug. We're told that
it will include a "6000-hour UV light for disinfecting the floor, a
slot for spreading
fragrance and a remote control that fits neatly on top of the vacuum."

Outside of that, details have been tough to come by. The vac will boast
a few pre-programmed patterns, but it remains to be seen what exactly
Asus has going on inside in terms of mapping. Have a look at the video
below to get an idea of what this could bring to your flooring, but
don't get too excited until we hear an official US price/release date (though it should sell for around $150 overseas).